Granitor CEO, Roger Wikström, talks society, tomorrow’s organizations and why supporting school students is the way forward

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In the latest in our series on the school collaboration program, we talk to Granitor CEO, Roger Wikstöm. We hear his thoughts on social responsibility and the role organizations can play, as well as what it means for the company to join the program.

The balance effect
Here in Sweden, we live in a free, open and caring society that believes in the individual but also in the collective power of its people. It’s a society that has enabled us to build global businesses that have conquered the world, but also take great strides towards balancing key societal issues such as the gender gap, even if we’re not there yet. I believe balance is central to everything we do, the right work-life balance can make a person perform better at work, and the right balance within a team can ensure everybody lifts their game. It’s time to bring more balance to integration. Something that we can help address through the school collaboration program.

The future of our organizations
Organizations are only as good as the people in them. Therefore, we have a responsibility to care for and nurture young people for the good of our society. And within that I include our businesses, industries, schools, hospitals, municipalities, you name it.

Making choices can be difficult at a young age. They can set the paths that people take but not define them. At 16, Mikael Vestlund chose to become an electrician. His first job was at Granitor Electro. Today he is the company CEO, responsible for thousands of people, 1700 of them are electricians.

Today’s school students are tomorrow’s workforce. We need to consider all roles, from the shop floor and the building site to senior management, and understand how we can help prepare people for them moving forward. Education is central to this, as is building self-esteem among young people – letting them know that we value them no matter where they come from. Instilling in them the belief that they have a lot to contribute to the development of society. And helping them to make difficult choices that will set the paths their lives will take, which puts the onus on us to provide them with the right support and guidance.

A collaborative approach
As business leaders we cannot sit back and wait for this to happen, we must work with councils, schools, teachers, and our industry peers – putting aside competition within this arena – to make this happen. And the best place to do this is in those areas where children, or indeed adults, have the most difficulty joining or fitting in to “Swedish” society. In underprivileged areas where diversity is lacking. This is something that we will all benefit from. It’s not a case of feeling sorry for anyone but seeing opportunities for growth for all individuals, organizations communities and schools that take part. And again, that’s why the school collaboration program is so important.

Sharing for the future
Of course, at Granitor, we want to be the most attractive employer we can be. By meeting and exchanging thoughts and ideas with school children we can learn much more about tomorrow’s workforce. At the same time, we can introduce them to who we are and what we do. Open their eyes to new career opportunities and show them what is possible. It’s about sharing experiences and learning from each other.

We like to think that all our employees have pride in their occupation and feel that they are doing something worthwhile, that they are contributing. It’s what makes people get up in the morning and want to go to work. It breeds a sense of camaraderie, fosters great teamwork and personal development, and ultimately delivers better results. We want to share this feeling with school students. We want them to get a taste of it and decide they want more. We want to hear them say I want to be a welder or an electrician or a crane operator like the people they meet through the program. Just imagine if we could change the script and have more females applying for these types of jobs than males, what a success that would be.

Long-term commitment
This is a long-term commitment that we’re making as a company but also as an organization that is dedicated to building a better society, to improving the communities where we live, work and play. And ultimately it may not be the amazing success we hope it will be, even though we will do everything we can to make it work. But if it isn’t, it still feels like the right thing to do. Now, more than ever, we must all do what we can to help one another.

About Roger Wikstöm
Roger Wikström is the CEO of Granitor, a family-owned Swedish corporation specializing in property development, management, construction and installation. He has led the 4400-person strong company for over 20 years, overseeing its exponential growth and its commitment to communities, technology and employees.

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